US high court likely to overturn conviction in abuse-of-power test case

The US Supreme Court appeared likely Wednesday to overturn the public corruption conviction of a one-time rising star of the Republican Party in a case that could help define abuse of power. Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell sought to convince the high court that he had not committed fraud when he and his wife took more than $175,000 in gifts and loans from a businessman seeking federal approval of a tobacco-derived dietary supplement. Among the gifts were a $6,000 watch to McDonnell and luxury shopping spree with wife Maureen in New York that included designer clothing and other goods from Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton and Oscar de la Renta.